The NewsMarket

The NewsMarket is a New York headquarted company that provides video news releases and b-roll footage to news outlets. In July 2009, the NewsMarket announced that it was purchasing the largest U.S. broadcast public relations firm, Medialink Worldwide. [1]

On its website the company states that its web delivery system of video news footage was designed to "enable news professionals to harness the power and immediacy of the Internet to more efficiently source video and other multimedia content." [2] In a September 2007 press release, the company said its video material was used by "more than 13,000 separate media outlets in 193 countries." Clients mentioned included Microsoft, McDonald's, Volvo Cars and Nintendo. [3]

Fake news advice

In March 2008, The NewsMarket stated it "is seeing certain trends emerge in terms of what content newsrooms – both TV and online are looking for. We expect that in the next six months, demand for these topics will increase dramatically and recommend that PR pros plan accordingly." [2]

The five hot "fake news" topics for 2008 identified by the firm are: [2]

Economic issues, especially "personal finance tips and mortgage advice" for local outlets and "predictions and macro-economic views by industry experts, academics, and CEOs" for national outlets;

U.S. presidential election, especially "issue-specific video around healthcare, the economy, and education, a great opportunity for companies and special-interest groups who want to tell their side of the story";

Beijing Olympics Games and China in general, including "US or European companies and their activities in China"; and

Emerging world markets, especially "India and China, but also the United Arab Emirates and Russia" and "U.S. companies who produce or sell their products and services in these markets."

Clients

One its website the company states that news organizations that have registerd to use its service include CNN, CNBC, BBC, EuroNews, Bloomberg TV and Reuters Television. [5] "The NewsMarket currently boasts registered users at more than 4,000 media organizations in 75 countries," it stated in early 2006. Broadcasting & Cable also identified Fox News as using footage from The NewsMarket. [6]

In early 2006 it boasted in a media release of a surge in media interest. "News outlets requested more than 128,000 clips from The NewsMarket in 2005, an increase of nearly 95 percent over the year before. The number of news outlets that source video from The NewsMarket also grew -- from 4,000 to 7,500 during the year -- an increase of nearly 90 percent ... The number of requests from the top 25 media outlets in the world tripled in 2005," it stated. [7]

Partnering with Burson-Marsteller

In July 2006, The NewsMarket announced a new partnership with the global PR firm Burson-Marsteller. "This partnership enables Burson to offer its clients a highly scalable, fully integrated solution to market and deliver digital content to journalists, new and emerging news platforms, and direct-to-consumers globally in local languages," read the press release. "This marks the first time a PR agency will offer a comprehensive, integrated strategic counsel capability with a digital content management and distribution platform that will enable turn-key execution for clients." [10]

"Empowering" through wikis

In March 2007, The NewsMarket announced its new "comprehensive user-generated editorial news calendar wiki." The wiki was launched as open only "to clients and registered media users of The NewsMarket, but it's designed to be an entirely public wiki forum to plan editorial efforts, initiatives and coverage," according to the company's press release. The company wants the wiki to provide "a current-events repository" and "a roster of organization-based activities," and to "help point journalists to available video content on The NewsMarket." [11]

The same press release also announced "Talk!, an online messaging tool for journalists to reach out directly to company PR professionals via an online query form." [12]

Video for bloggers

In August 2007, The NewsMarket announced "VideoCafe," an online platform offering "video content from major companies and international organizations to bloggers to use on their blogs. Footage available for embedding into blogs comes from Google, Yahoo, Intel, Nintendo, AOL, Dell, and Dow Chemical," according to WebProNews. "VideoCafe is currently in beta and video will be available on an invitation-only basis," added the article. [13]

The article also mentioned that The NewsMarket receives "30,000 requests per month for video clips from global news media." [14]

Expanding into India

In December 2007, The NewsMarket announced its partnership with "VJIVE Networks, India's largest digital media network." A company press release explained: [3]

The partnership will see The NewsMarket supplying VJIVE Networks with access to thousands of video clips from hundreds of leading global brands. VJIVE Networks will edit and broadcast the content on its video screens across India, including Subhiksha, one of the country's largest retail chains with 700+ stores nationwide, the 350+ franchises of The Mobile Store, as well as Gold's Gym.

India's retail market, one of the country's fastest-growing industries, is expected to grow from $350 billion to $427 billion by 2010 according to Euromonitor and offers even bigger growth opportunities than China.

Expanding into the Middle East

In March 2008, The NewsMarket announced its partnership with "JiWin, one of the Middle East's leading communications agencies and a division of the Media Services Group." In a press release, the firm said it "and JiWin will advise companies and organizations across the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf Cooperation Council States (GCC) on how to promote their brand and product messages globally using video." [4]

The release also stated that The NewsMarket "plans to open its first office in Dubai in March 2008 to service its local customers and media users. The company has also announced the launch of its Dubai Channel which will compile and market video about UAE and Gulf State-based organizations and make it available to journalists and online audiences globally. The Dubai Channel follows the successful launch of the India Channel (www.thenewsmarket.com/india) around the India@60 campaign in 2007." [4]

Critique

On the "News Videographer" blog, Angela Grant critically reviewed video available from The NewsMarket: [15]

What are these free "stories" we can get from TheNewsMarket?

Cybercriminals are becoming more professional. This story is provided by Symantec. Guess we should all run out and buy Norton products.

Athsma patients better using combined maintenance and reliever therapy. This one by AstraZeneca. Guess we should buy their medicines.

Footage available from Halliburton. Source: Halliburton. Hmm … I wonder what types of images they would decide to include in here?

... I think it’s really important that newspaper video people never succumb to using PR video. It’s not honest.